Karadai Nonbu takes its name from the unique dish ‘Kara Adai’ prepared during Savithri nombu or Karadaiyan Nombhu. The dish ‘Kara Adai’ is cooked especially during the Karadai fast. It is eaten to break the fast observed by married women. The recipe is quite simple and it is believed that Savitri prepared this dish and offered it to God as a thanksgiving for sparing her husband’s life.

Grated Jaggery 1 cup or same about of solid jaggery (You can lessen it if you want it to be less sweet)

¼ cup slit small coconut pieces or ¼ cup of grated coconut

½ tsp cardamom powder

Preparation of Sweet Kara Adai

Roast the rice flour – stop when it is off white to light brown color. The consistency should be like the rice powder used for drawing kolams. Once roasted properly keep the rice flour aside.

Slightly roast the Karamani and then pressure-cook till soft and drain the excess water.

Boil water. The ideal ratio of water to rice flour is 2:1.

Add the rice flour slowly to prepare the dough. Stir well to avoid lumps. Cook till the dough achieves a thick consistency.

Add jaggery to the dough and stir well until both blends together.

Add cardamom powder, cooked Karamani and coconut and stir well to blend.

Cook the dough on small or medium flame. Keep stirring until the dough thickens.

Allow dough to cool.

Make a lemon sized ball from the cooked and cooled batter or mixture and spread or pat into a small circular or disc – around 3 inch diameter and 1/4 inch thick. The mixture can be spread on hand or on banana leaf or butter paper.

Make a hole in the center of the non-cooked kara adai or patties just as in a donut. Make as many as possible with the available batter.

Steam the patties in an idly-cooker or pressure cooker with steamer trays. Cook for 10 minutes. In the case of pressure cooker, cook without putting the weight.